U.S. national team defender Oguchi Onyewu scored seven minutes into his first start for Málaga on Wednesday as the La Liga club outlasted CP Cacereño, 4-3, in a Copa del Rey game.

Onyewu signed with Málaga two months ago and had to wait until last week to make his debut as he entered a UEFA Champions League match vs. AC Milan (one of his former clubs) in stoppage time. He was on the bench again over the weekend but with third-division opposition on the docket for Wednesday, Málaga coach Manuel Pellegrini decided it was time for Onyewu’s first start.

The manager was rewarded almost immediately, as the burly 30-year-old defender headed home a Málaga free kick. It was 2-0 after 20 minutes, but the hosts recovered to draw even by halftime. Portuguese midfielder Duda—who took the kick finished by Onyewu—and Paraguayan star Roque Santa Cruz restored Málaga’s two-goal cushion before Cacereño pulled one back in the 87th minute. Onyewu was shown a yellow card in the 64th but finished the game on the field in his first 90-minute effort since an April outing with Lisbon club Sporting CP. The goal was his first since January.

Onyewu hasn’t played for the U.S. since June and said in a recent interview that establishing himself at his new club comes first.

"Right now, I'm not in the (national team) mix and rightfully so," he told Reuters. "I think you need to take things in their proper order, and my main focus is Málaga and concentrating here on getting the playing time I'm working for. Once that all comes to realization everything else should fall into place. (U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann) expressed his delight in terms of me putting myself in a good position despite everything that went down in Lisbon.

“I'm not too worried about it, but first things first. I have to take care of business here."

Copa del Rey rounds are decided over two legs, so Málaga will entertain Cacereño back at La Rosaleda in late November. The winner will move onto the Spanish cup’s round-of-16. Málaga’s next match is Nov. 3 against La Liga rival Rayo Vallecano.